Earlier this year, the Karl König Institute hosted its first UK conference retreat at St Bride’s Hall in Stroud – an important event which reignited the Institute’s connections with British Camphill circles and focussed on the ongoing relevance of Karl König’s legacy to identify ways in which his impulses can be further developed to meet the needs of today and in the future.
Key themes included: community building and soul care; Karl König’s influence on attitudes and activity towards ecology and the earth; organisational development and governance; and ideals of social innovation and the threefold social order. Speakers included Richard Steel (CEO, Karl König Institute), Vivian Griffiths, Peter Bateson, Philippe Mazas, and Jane and Michael Luxford.
The retreat was deemed a great success, providing a space for in-depth conversations around the themes at the heart of Karl König’s work and the Camphill ethos—bringing together spiritual principles with practical activity in caring for both people and the environment. These discussions were recognised as especially valuable, offering fresh perspectives on how these principles can be applied to modern contexts and how Karl König’s impulses can continue to enrich society into the future.
Richard Steel has expressed his gratitude to the Camphill Foundation UK and Ireland for supporting this important event with a grant to cover catering and travel costs and special thanks are extended to Peter Bateson and colleagues in Stroud for organising and facilitating the event.
Building on the success of this year’s retreat, further initiatives are planned for 2026, including the showing of the Karl König Institute’s documentary “A Light for Humanity – In the Footsteps of Karl König”, produced with support from the Austrian National Fund for Holocaust Survivors and featuring interviews with those who knew and worked with Karl König, as well as presenting the new book “A Biography of Karl König” written in German and translated into English by Regine Bruhn, which is in the process of being published by Floris Books.
These will be presented at Emerson College in Sussex, Rudolf Steiner House in London, Stroud, Aberdeen, and in Ireland, followed by screenings and presentations in the USA, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
The Camphill Foundation UK and Ireland is honoured to have supported both projects and is very much looking forward to their release.
Please click here to find out more about the work of the Karl König Institute, and here to view some of the other inspiring projects that the Camphill Foundation UK & Ireland has supported.
